Admixing vial or container



Dec. 29, 1964 w N 3,163,163

ADMIXING VIAL OR CONTAINER Filed Dec. 14, 1960 United States Patent 3,163,163 ADMIXING VIAL 0R (IQNTAINFIR Edgar H. Wiihnrn, Rutherford, N..l'., assignor to The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Ivllich. Filed Dec. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 75,330 '7 Claims. (Ci. 128-272) The present invention relates to vials or containers for segregated storage in a pair of separated chambers thereof of different ingredients of solutions and liquid mixtures with provision therein for bringing the ingredients together at will for admixing without necessitating opening of the vial, the inventtion being an improvement upon the admixing vial described in the Lockhart United States Patent No. 2,610,628 of September 16, 1952. The present application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application for Admixing Vial, Serial No. 854,935, filed November 23, 1959, and now abandoned.

A general object of the invention is to provide such an admixing device which is readily and economically produced in mass production, the parts thereof being easily assembled and the segregated chambers being readily loadable, and which may be manipulated in an unusually simple manner, such as by mere flexing inward or squeezing of a flexible portion thereof or depression of a removal closure to attain such flexing, to intercomrnunicate the segregated chambers for efiicient admixing of their contents.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide such an admixing vial which has the major vial portion of its exterior walls, or the container, formed from a suitable fiexible elastomer to permit ready inward flexure of one or more portions of the side wall of the liquid containing chamber thereof to reduce the cubic capacity of the latter sufficiently to expel by hydraulic pressure a gate plug from an intercommunicating passage between chambers to permit ready admixture of their contents.

Another object is to provide such device in a form in which the flexing side wall portion may be an end of the container crowned and equipped with a relatively small outlet neck fitted with a removable closure which may serve to close off its liquid containing chamber and which is depressible to flex inwardly the crowned end wall portion for effectively reducing the capacity of this chamber to expel the gate plug in a simple and effective manner.

A further object is to provide structural embodiments of the device which are readily constructed with the parts thereof being easily assembled, and which allow eflicient use and operation thereof.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial section of a loaded embodiment of the admixing vial of the present invention, showing the chambers thereof loaded with different typical ingredients to be admixed, and illustrating in dotted lines manipulation of side Wall portions thereof for bringing the segregated chambers into communication for admixing the in gredients;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1, illustrating manual manipulation thereof to effect intercornmunication of the segregated chambers to permit admixing of the previously segregated ingredients by shaking the device, and proposing by way of example piercing of a side wall portion by a cannula for removal of liquid mixture contents if desired;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrating in full lines and in dotted lines different placements of a Withdrawal cannula through wall portions of the device;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the device of the present invention having a removable closure, and showing in dot-dash lines relative positions of parts when manipulated to communicate the pair of chambers for admixture of their contents, parts being broken away and sectioned;

FIG. 5 is a perspective and pictorial view to smaller scale of the device shown in FIG. 4, illustrating manual depression of the removable closure thereof to effect discharge of the liquid contents in the top chamber down into the other chamber containing the remaining ingredient fraction of the ultimate mixture;

FIG. 6 is another perspective view, with parts broken away, of the top portion of the container of FIGS. 4 and 5 after removal of the removable closure to permit pouring out of the mixture contents therein illustrated; and

FIG. 7 is an axial section, with parts broken away, of the top portion of the top liquid chamber, including the pressure creating flexible annulus and surmounted central tubular means or neck defining a liquid loading inlet passage of a further embodiment, showing a closure of a different type fitted to the tubular means with the latter and ciosure together constituting the relatively stiff thrustreceiving member for downward flexing of the flexible annulus.

Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals identify similar parts throughout, it will be seen that the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 may comprise a container or vial lit for storage of a liquid and another material miscible therewith segregated in separate chambers 11 and 12 thereof, with the container or vial having a gated intercommunicating passage 13 to permit admixture of the contents of the two chambers when the passage is opened. Tne vial 10 is inthe form of a substantially tubular body having a pair of end sections 14 and 15 and an interventing mid-section 16. The mid-section 16 is constricted with provision of a circular internal seat which forms the intercomrnunicating passage 13. The internal seat 13 is preferably elongated and cylindrical and is of a diameter substantially less than the internal diameters of the end chambers 11 and 12, or the end sections 14 and 15 which define the latter. The chamber 12 has been selected for storing a liquid vehicle or body 17 of liquid ingredient or solvent, and thus chamber 11 constitutes an admixing chamber which contains the remaining ingredient fraction of the ultimate mixture, which may be a mass 18 of material, such as solids, as a solute miscible with the liquid or body of solvent 17. End wall means 19 closes off the bottom end of the vial it! and thus provides an end closure for the admixing chamber 11.

The container or vial it including its end sections 14 and 15, its constricted mid-section 16 and its bottom end wall 19 preferably are made integral with each other, as may result from blow molding it from a suitable flexible elastomer. Thus section 15 or a portion of the side wall of the liquid chamber 12 is flexible to permit inward fiexure thereof for a purpose to be explained later. Since such a device may have advantageous use in the segregated storage of ingredients of medicament admixtures although it is not limited to such service, the elastorner selected for the formation of the container or vial it! for such use should be such as to be compatible with and noncontarninable of the ingredients to be stored in the chambers thereof. Certain elastic plastics are well adapted to this service, such as polyethylenes, polypropylenes which are flexible in relatively thin sections or sheets, and the like. The liquid storage chamber end section may be constructed from such an elastomer with its bottom end provided with an axially-extending neck of reduced diameter to serve as the constricted mid-section 16 and the other end section 34 may be in the form of a necked glass bottle with its neck telescoped and anchored into the bottom neck of the liquid chamber, the bore of the glass bottle neck then serving to provide the intercommunicating passage or gate plug seat 13.

It will be noted from FIG. 1 that in the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the top end of the container or vial it), opposite its closed bottom 19 is provided with an externally-threaded and axially-extending hollow neck 20 terminating in a circular lip 21 and closed off by a screw cap 22. It will be understood, however, that such cap closure, if desired, may be provided as a slip cap telescoped down over the neck or a plug having friction fit in the neck bore with an enlarged head to limit the degree of insertion for closing purposes. The screw cap 22 may be formed from needle-pierceable material, such as a plastic elast-omer, so that its transverse end wall 23 may, if desired, be punched or pierced by a cannula, such as a hypodermic needle, for withdrawal of admixture contents of the vial through its lumen. However, the screw cap 22 permits removal for pouring the admixture contents from the vial 1%, if desired, but withdrawal of contents by a cannula will assure maintenanceof sterile conditions of the admixture when it is a medicament that may be intended for hypodermic injection. A needle-pierceable, int-perforate disc of suitable material, such as rubber or other elastorner, cg, polyethylene, may be laid over lip 21 of neck 2% Screw cap 22 may be made of any suitable rigid material, such as polystyrene, phenolic and urea resins, or metal. Preterably the transverse end wall 23 of the screw cap 22 is apertured or provided with a hole as. The circumferential edge of the marginal zone of the imperforate disc 35 is clamped between the circular vial lip 21 and the inner end face of the screw cap 22 when the latter is screwed home to the seated position of FIG. 1. Thus, the disc 35 effectively closes off the hole 36 in the screw cap end wall 23 while providing there a portion which is needle-pierceable.

A substantially cylindrical gate plug 24, suitably formed from resilient material, such as an elastomer compatible with the vial contents, e.g., synthetic or natural rubber, is provided in a diameter intermediate the diameter of the passage or seat 13 and the internal diameters of the chambers 11 and 12. The bore 25 of the neck 2'!) will be made larger than the diameter of the gate plug 24 in relaxed and unconfined condition so as to permit ready insertion therethrough into the seat 13, while the external diameter of the neck is appreciably less than that of liquid chamber-defining section 15 to define a flexible crowned or frusto-conical connecting section 39 therebetween. Connecting section 3t; constitutes an outwardly crowned flexible annulus which defines a circumferential shoulder zone which may be flexed inwardly or depressed to a concave position by application of axial inward or downward thrust.

In order to load the embodiment of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, let it be assumed that a mass 18 of the solids solute is dropped down through the neck bore 25, chamber 12 and intercommunicating passage 13 into chamber 3.1. Then the gate plug 24 will be dropped down through the neck bore 25 and chamber 12 and force fitted in constricted condition into the seat 13 in the position illustrated in FIG. 1. The wall of the constricted mid-section 1%, formed from an elastomer, may have some elasticity and may increase in diameter to a limited degree when the resilient gate plug 2% is forced into seat 13, and of course the latter, being of greater diameter than the seat, will be constricted in cross-section by this forced seating to be removably gripped with a friction fit therein. The mid-section 16 intervening the end sections 14 and 15, which is constricted to define the gate plug seat or intercommunicating passage 13, may be thickened, such as by an external bead 34, to assure relative rigidity and non-collapsibility of the trans erse partition means which includes the constricted gate plug 24 in its cylindrical seat.

The body of liquid 17 will then be poured through the neck bore 25 into the chamber l2 and the quantity thereof will he appreciably greater than a predetermined cubic capacity of this liquid chamber when it is reduced by inward ilexure of one or more portions of the side wall, such as is indicated by the arrows 25 and Z7 and the dotted line positions of the flexed opposite side wall portions shown at 23 and 23'. lreferably for this purpose, chamber 17; will be completely filled with the liquid body 17, but it may have some head space so long as the quantitiy of liquid is greater than the cubic capacity of the liquid chamber when reduced by such inward flexing so as to assure development of hydraulic pressure upon the gate plug 24, to expel it into the admixing chamber 11 containing the mass of solids it; which are miscible with the liquid 17. The

eck bore 25 will then be closed by screwing the cap 22 down over the externally-threaded neck Ell to produce the loaded device of FIG. 1.

There is no particular difficulty in loading liquid 17 into top chamber 12 to substantial filling of the latter, including neck bore 25, despite the quantity of air in the cavity of cap 22 when its skirt is applied down over the neck 29. When cap 22 has the central end hole 36 the sealing disc 35 may be laid over the circular neck lip 21 before application of the cap 22, to be finally clamped tightly to scaling engagement of the lip as the cap is finally turned down home with its end wall 23 hearing down on its marginal zone, air in the cap escaping through the end hole. It the sealing disc 35 is permanently carried in the cap 22 adjacent its end wall 23 air in the cap can bleed out between the neck lip 21 and the disc and between the threads of the neck and cap skirt until the sealing disc is in the final seating of the cap forced against the neck lip. For the latter purpose the skirt of cap 22 and the internal threads therein are oversize loosely to engage about the neck 2%} and the external threads thereon, to provide an intervening escape gap thcrebetween while assuring maintenance of threaded interengagernent as the cap is rotated relative to screw it down on the neck.

In operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 incl, one may grasp the side wall of the vial end portion 15 exterior of the liquid chamber 32 between one of his fingers res and his thumb 127 and pinch or squeeze these opposed portions of the side wall inwardly in the fashion indicated in FIG. 2. Such inward flexure of portions of the side wall of the liquid chamber 12 reduces its cubic capacity sufficiently to create the hydraulic pressure necessary to expel the gate plug 24 from its constricted seat 13 into the admixing chamber 11 with spill of the body of liquid 17 into contact of the other ingredient 18. Alternatively, such reduction in the cubic capacity of the liquid storage chamber may be effected in a manner illustrated in FEGS. 4 and 5, depicting manual manipulation of the second embodiment illustrated in the drawing, described detail hereinafter. The manipulator may then shake the vial ill to assure complete admixture of the ingredients or solution of the solute solids into the liquid solvent. Thereafter, the liquid admixture, such as that indicated at 32 in FlGS. 2 and 3, or portions thereof, may be removed without opening the vial ill by thrusting a cannula, such as hypodermic needle 33, through some portion of the container Wall or the transverse top Wall defined by the portion of sealing disc 35 exposed in cap hole 36, in the manner indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, to bring the lumen of the cannula into communication with the liquid admixture for withdrawal of part or all thereof.

Although the side walls and the bottom end wall of the vial are preferably made from elastic plastic material or an elastomer having the required flexibility, when the constricted gate plug 24 is forced into the intercornmunicating passage or seat 13 the mid-section 16 of the vial and its housed gate plug 24 together provide a substantially rigid, non-collapsible, transverse partition means which defines on one side thereof the liquid storage chamber 12 and on its opposite side the admixing chamber 11. The flexibility of the side walls of the chambers 11 and 12 in the vial end sections 14 and 15 permits the side squeezing reduction in capacity of the liquid chamber sufiicient to create the gate plug expelling hydraulic pressure.

The embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 has the same general combination of structural features of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 incl., difiering chiefly in relative dimensions of parts so as to adapt it to service requiring greater capacities of the segregated chambers, and also with respect to the removable closure. In the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 6 incl., the container 1% preferably is molded as a unitary structure from flexible elastomer of the type indicated above and is subdivided into a bottom section 114, a top section 115, an intervening constricted mid-section 116, an annular shoulder zone section 130, and a coaxially-extending neck 120. The walls of the tubular container 100 are relatively thin to have appreciable flexibility, with the possible exception of the mid-section 116 and the neck 120. Mid-section 116 preferably is thickened by an external bead 134 to increase the rigidity thereof whichis enhanced when the slightly oversized gate plug 24 of elastic material is jammed thereinto. The coaxial neck 120 may be stitfened by increased thickness and, in any case, by an external screw thread molded thereon.

The constricted mid-section 116 constitues a tubular inlet leading and connected in a fluid-tight manner to the top end of an enlarged receptive chamber 111 defined by the bottom section 114, and in turn leads from and is connected in a fluid-tight manner to the bottom of a top liquid storage chamber 112 defined by the top section 115 and a superposed crowned shoulder zone section 130. This tubular inlet, which intercommunicates the top liquid storage chamber 112 with the bottom receptive chamber 111 preferably is in the form of an elongated and cylindrical internal seat 113 of a diameter considerably less than the internal diameters of the bottom and top end chambers 111 and 112. The top chamber 112, including section 115, the superposed shoulder. zone 135i, and the outwardly or upwardly extending coaxial neck 120 has stored therein a liquid vehicle or body 17 of liquid ingredient or solvent, which is preferably in such quantity as substantially to fill this top chamber including the bore 125 of the neck. The bottom receptive chamber 111 constitutes an admixing chamber which contains the remaining ingredient fraction of the ultimate mixture, which may be mass 18 of other material, such as solids, as a solute miscible with the liquid or body of solvent 17. Bottom end wall 119 closes off the bottom end of the tubular vial or container 1% thereby providing an end closure for the admixing chamher 111, and the cubic capacity of the latter preferably is such as to receive therein with the mass 18 of the second ingredient all of the liquid 17 in the top storage chamber 112. It is to be understood that the second ingredient in the bottom chamber 111 may be another liquid which may be in a quantity, for. example, such that its top surface is located at about the horizontal plane depicted by the dotted line at 4% in FIG. 4, when such loaded container 100 is standing upright.

The coaxial, outwardly-extending and externally screw threaded neck terminates in a circular lip 121, as will be seen from PEG. 6, which defines an open outlet or pouring mouth for the neck bore 125, normally closed otf by the removable closure 122. The removable closure 122 preferably is a screw cap having an internally screw threaded skirt and a transverse imperforate top end 123. The screw cap 122 preferably has substantial rigidity in order to enhance the stiifness of the neck 120, and for this purpose may be molded in one piece from relatively ri id plastic material, such as polystyrene and the like, or may be formed from metal or other rigid material. When the screw cap 122 is telescoped down over and about the neck 121 by screw threaded engagement therewith resulting from rotation of the cap, its transverse top wall 123 is ultimately brought to sealing engagement with the elastic circular lip 121 of the neck.

Since it is desired that the body 17 of liquid stored in the top chamber 112 substantially fill it including its portion defined by the neck bore 125, it may be desirable to shape and dimension the external surfaces of the neck 1213, including its external screw threads, and the internal surfaces of the cap skirt, including its internal screw threads, to assure a relatively loose fit until the cap is screwed down home to jamming of the inner face of the transverse top end 123 of the cap against the circular neck lip 121. Such loose fit permits escape of the air within the screw cap 122 as the latter is screwed down about the neck 12%? so that this air will not become entrapped within the chamber 112 and tend to cause the body of liquid 17 prematurely to apply hydraulic pressure down against the gate plug 24 which might tend to expel the latter from its circular seat 113 down into the receptive bottom chamber 111. If desired, cap 122 may carry a dip stick or be of other construction while constituting a removable closure for neck bore 125.

it will be seen from FIG. 4 that the top portion of top section 115 is surmounted by an upwardly crowned and relatively thin-walled annulus in the form of a frustoconical circumferential shoulder zone 130, defining with the neck 12% and cap 122 carried thereby, a top closing end wall of the liquid storage chamber 112. While the bore 125 of neck 12%) is in diameter of considerably less dimension than the top portion of section 115 it may be desirable that it be of a diameter greater than the constricted seat 113 and gate plug 24 when the latter is in relaxed condition prior to jammed insertion of the latter into the constricted seat. This will permit the ready insertion of the gate plug 24 down through the neck bore 125 for seating into the constricted seat 113. However, neck bore 125 could be of the same size as constricted seat 113 which would require for seating of the gate plug 24 into the latter first forcing the gate plug in constricted condition down through the neck bore.

Loading of the embodiment of the device illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6 incl. may be similar to that described above in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 incl. The second ingredient of the ultimate liquid mixture or composition, which may be in the form of the mass 18 of solids or a liquid in a limited quantity sutficient to bring its top surface to the transverse plane indicated by the dotted line at 40 in FIG. 4, may be supplied to the bottom receptive chamber 111 successively down through the neck bore 125 and the tubular inlet defined by the constricted gate plug seat 113. In order to avoid fouling of inner surfaces of the liquid storage chamber 112 during such loading of the bottom receptive chamber 111 with the second ingredient the latter may be supplied through a tube inserted successively down through the neck bore 125, the main portion of the liquid storage chamber 112 and the gate plug seat 113. Thereafter, after removal of the feed tube, the gate plug 24 will be dropped down through the neck bore 125 in the main portion of the liquid storage chamber 112 and force-fitted in constricted condition into the seat 113, to the position illustrated in FIG. 4. Although the Wall of the constricted midsection 116, formed from the flexible elastomer, may have some elasticity so that the diameter thereof is increased to a limited degree when the resilient gate plug 24 is forced into its receptive seat 113, this swelling of the constricted mid-section is limited by .the strengthening external bead 134, so that the gate plug will be constricted in cross-section by its forced seating into its receptive seat, to be removably gripped with a friction fit therein. Thus the constricted mid-section 115 and the gate plug 24 force-fitted into the seat 113 defined by the former together constitute a rigid, non-collapsible, transverse partition means to one side of which is defined the receptive bottom chamber ill and to the other side of which is defined the top liquid storage chamber 112, thereby maintaining in segregated con dition the contents of these two chambers.

After the second ingredient has been loaded into the bottom receptive chamber ill and the gate plug 24 jammed down into the constricted seat 113, the body of liquid 1'7, constituting the first ingredient of the ultimate mixture, will be poured down through the neck bore E25 into the top storage chamber lift, at least in such quantity as will be appreciably greater than a predetermined cubic capacity of this liquid storage chamber when it is reduced by inward flexure of a wall portion thereof, and preferably to substantial filling of the entire top chamber including the neck bore. The removable closure, in the form of screw cap 122, will then be threadably applied to the neck 12%) to seal oif the mouth of neck bore 525 at the circular lip 121. In this manner the ultimate package of PEG. 4 is constructed and readied for use.

In operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 6 incl, one may grasp the tubular container 1% in the manner depicted in FIG. 5, inserting the constricted section 116 between his fingers 126 and 31 and apply inward or downward thrust to the neck 12% by manual depression of the cap 122 with his thumb 127. As a result, the crowned or frusto-conical flexible annulus defined by the shoulder zone 13% will be inverted by depresseion to the shape of a concave annulus, indicated in dot-dash lines at 239 in FIG. 4. Consequently, the capacity of liquid storage chamber 112 is appreciably reduced with the development of hydraulic pressure upon the gate plug 24, so as to expel the latter from out of its seat 113 down into the receptive chamber 111, as is indicated in FIG. 5. This permits the liquid ingredient 17 in the top storage chamber 112 to spill down into the receptive chamber 111 there to contact with the second ingredient 18. The operator may then shake the container ltltl to assure complete admixture of the ingredients of the ultimate mixture. The gate plug 24 which has been expelled down into receptive and mixing chamber lit may serve to facilitate admixing of the ingredients in the shaking of the container ltlti, since it will bounce around in this chamber during the shaking.

Removal of the resulting liquid mixture from the corn tainer ltlil may be effected later by unscrewing the cap 122 from ofi of the neck 12%, and then tilting the container to pour the mixture out of the neck bore 125, as is illustrated in FIG. 6.

The top portion of a further embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 7 to emphasize that the neck closure does not necessarily have to be removable in order to permit withdrawal of the ultimate liquid mixture within the container. The container proper Ztltl may be similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, molded preferably as a unit from suitable elastomer, such as elastic plastics of the type mentioned above. The top chamber 222, in which the body of liquid ingredient 17 is stored, may be defined by similar wall structure including a top part in the form of a flexible annulus 13% similar to that illustrated in FIG. 4. The flexible annulus 139 is surmounted centrally by tubular means, preferably in the form of an axially-extending neck 22%, connected centrally to the flexible annulus, preferably by being molded integrally therewith, so as to assure a fluid-tight connection. Bore 225 of the tubular means or neck 22% defines a liquid loading inlet passage for flowing the liquid ingredient 17 into the top storage chamber 212 before the container 5 i closed at the top. The neck bore 225 snugly receives therein a relatively thicx sleeve 41, which may be of rubber or other suitable elastic material, confined in constricted condition in the neck bore so as to remain snugly thercwithin. The elastic sleeve 41 has an axial bore 42 extending therethrough. The snug gripping of the sleeve ll within the neck 22% may be attained wholly by the elasticity of the neck if the sleeve is of rigid material such as polystyrene plastic or metal, provided suitable provision for gasketing the spout tube in the sleeve is made as in hereinafter explained. It will thus be understood that, in any case, the sleeve 41 reinforces the tubular inlet passage means or neck 220 so as to stiffen it.

in the FIG. 7 structure, the closure which is fitted to the tubular inlet passage means or neck 22.9 is completed by a tubular member or spout tube means 43, consisting of a tube 4- carrying medially an annular flange 45 and having an outlet tip do extending beyond the flange. The spout tube 44 preferably is of rigid material, such as polystyrene or metal. and its bottom section which extends below the annular flange 45, preferably is of an outer diameter slightly greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve bore 42. when the sleeve 41 is molded from an elastomer and is held tightly in constricted condition in the neck bore 225. The spout tube a l may be forced into the sleeve bore 4 1 due to the elasticity of the sleeve ll, or it may be in such assembled position at the time the sleeve is forced into the neck bore 225 Consequently, all joints of the closure are fluidtight. If the sleeve 41 is of rigid material at least the bottom section of spout tube 44 fitted into the sleeve bore 42 may be of a suitable elastomer and slightly oversized to be forcefitted into the latter.

It will be noted from PEG. 7 that preferably the annular flange 45 carried medially by spout tube 44 is of a lateral dimension sufhcient to overlap the outer ends of both the inserted sleeve dl and the lip of the neck 2%, so that it may be employed to limit the insertion of the sleeve into the neck bore 225, so as to assure maintenance of the relative positions of the parts when thrust is app-lied to the closure. Bore 46 of spout tube 44 extends longitudinally therethrough to provide the outlet for delivery of the ultimate liquid mixture, and may be slightly constricted at outlet tip 47 to permit delivery of the liquid mixture eith r in the form of a very fine stream or as drops. The outlet tip 4'7 of the delivery spout tube 44 is suitably and temporarily covered to close the spout bore 46. Such temporary closure may be etlected by a screw cap 4% threadably engaged over spout 5 tube tip 4 7. but if this cap is made of elastic material. such as a suitable elastomer, it may have a tight friction and Wedging fit thereover while being removable by slipping it oil with twisting action.

Let it be assumed that a container of t as present invention, equipped with top closure means of the type illustrated in FIG. 7, has a suitable ingredient housed in its lower chamber and protectively isolated by the gate plug of the PEG. 4 embodiment. With the closure, comprising elastic sleeve ll and spout tube 4 absent from the tubular neck 22d the liquid ingredient 1'7 may be flowed into the top storage chamber 212 in any suitable manner, such as by a feed tube. Then the elastic sleeve 41 may be forced into the neck bore 225, with or without the spout tube 44 being mounted in the sleeve bore 42. Preferably the tip l? of the spout tube 4d will not be covered by the cap 48 until such seating of the closure Within the neck bore 225. Thereafter. the spout tube may be capped by screwing or forcing the cap it; down over the spout tube tip 457 for secure sealing of the container. In order to insure against expulsion of the 9 closure, or its spout tube, from neck bore 225 when hydraulic pressure is created in the liquid storage chamber the sleeve 41 may be more securely anchored in neck 220, such as by screw threaded engagement and similar screw threaded engagement may be employed between the sleeve 41 and the spout tube M.

To operate the embodiment proposed in FIG. 7, one may insert the capped tip of the spout tube 44 between two of his fingers and, while holding the remainder of the container either with the other hand or supporting it on a surface, apply downward thrust to the tubular neck and closure assembly in the direction of the arrows 226 and 227, so as to flex downwardly the flexible annulus in the manner indicated and illustrated in the FIGS. 4 and 5. It may be desired to provide the cap 43 for the spout tube tip 47 with an enlarged head, such as depicted at 49, to serve as a thrust-receiving pad. In the latter case the cap 48 should be made of rigid material, such as metal or inelastic plastic, so that when axial thrust is applied thereto, as proposed by arrow 326, there will be less tendency for parts to distort and detract from the desirability of so operating the device. It is to be understood that for the spout tube closing cap 48 one may substitute conventional valving structure which may normally close spout tube bore 46 and be manually manipulable to open it for discharge of liquid contents of the container.

As a result of such application of downward thrust, the gate plug will be expelled by hydraulic pressure down out of its constricted Waist seat into the bottom chamber, permitting spill of the liquid ingredient down thereinto for admixing the ingredients. Whenever it is desired to remove the ultimate liquid mixture out through the tubular means or neck which defines the liquid loading inlet passage, this may be accomplished by removing the spout tube cap 48 to open up the spout bore 46. Inversion of the container will then permit expulsion of any desired quantity of the liquid mixture from the container by squeezing portions of the side walls of one or more of the two chambers thereof to reduce the internal cubic capacity. Obviously, for the purpose of such discharge of mixture contents, the entire closure assembly, including the sleeve 41 and spout tube means 43 carried thereby, may be removed from the neck bore 225, but this is not essential since the liquid mixture contents may be removed through the tube bore 46 with the spout tube uncapped by removal of cap 48. In either case, the ultimate liquid mixture is withdrawn out through the tubular means which defines the liquid loading inlet passage or neck bore 225.

It is to be understood that the device of the present invention is not limited to the marketing, storage and preparation of medical compositions or medicaments. It may be advantageously employed in the segregated storage and admixture of ingredients of various types of ultimate mixtures, such as coating compositions, potables that may be designed for therapeutic purposes as well as others, e.g., cocktails, etc.

It will thus be seen that the embodiments of the admixing vial or container of the present invention, illustrated by way of example in the drawing, provides a pair of segregated separate chambers in which are separately stored a liquid ingredient and another material miscible therewith, constituting ingredients of an ultimate liquid 'mixture, the chambers being intercommunicated by a gated passage to permit upon opening of the latter admixture of the ingredients. In this construction is provided a bottom section defining an enlarged receptive chamber containing the other or second ingredient and which is of a certain internal cross-sectional dimension, a constricted tubular inlet leading and connected in a fluid-tight manner to this receptive chamber and which is of an internal diameter appreciably less than the cross-sectional dimension of the receptive chamber with this tubular inlet defining the intercommunicating passage, and a substantially cylindrical resilient gate plug of a diameter intermediate the internal diameter of the tubular inlet and the internal cross-sectional dimension of the receptive chamber jammed into the inlet so as temporarily to close the intercommunicating passage provided thereby with the gate plug being pressure-expellable from the latter into the receptive chamber. These illustrated embodiments also include a top portion defining in part an enlarged liquid storage chamber substantially filled with the liquid ingredient and connected in a fluid-tight manner at its bottom to the tubular inlet with the passage defined by the latter intercommunicating the chambers when the gate plug is unseated from the passage into the receptive chamber. This top portion is surmounted by an upwardly crowned and relatively thin-walled annulus connected thereto in a fluid-tight manner and forming a top closing end wall of the liquid storage chamber. Since this crowned annulus is formed of flexible elastomer it is deformable to a concave annulus upon application thereto of downward thrust axially, so as effectively to reduce the cubic capacity of the top liquid storage chamber and thereby cause the gate plug to be hydraulically expelled from the intercommunicating passage down into the receptive chamher. The crowned annulus which surmounts the top portion of the liquid storage chamber coaxially carries tubular means connected centrally thereto in a fluid-tight manner and defining a liquid loading inlet passage for flowing the liquid ingredient into the top storage chamber.

The tubular means which is connected centrally to the flexible annulus in a fluid-tight manner has a bore to define a liquid loading inlet passage. This bore may provide an outlet terminating in an open pouring mouth or may have therein sleeve and/or tube means which performs this function. In any case, there is fitted to this tubular loading means a ciosure which closes the loading inlet passage with confinement of the liquid ingredient in the top storage chamber. This closure is of a structure permitting withdrawal of the ultimate liquid mixture out through the tubular loading means. This tubular means and the closure fitted thereto together define a relatively stiff thrust-receiving means for manual engagement to deform the flexible annulus downwardly into a concave position upon application of downward manual thrust to such thrust-receiving means. In certain embodiments where the closure which is fitted to the tubular means defining the liquid loading inlet passage is in the form of a removable closure mounted on or in the neck it temporarily closes the mouth of the latter and together they define a stiff thrust post for manual engagement to deform the flexible crowned annulus downwardly to the concave position upon application of manual thrust to the resulting post for expelling the gate plug from out of its seat and thereby effect intercommunication between the pair of chambers for bringing the segregated ingredients together to be admixed by shaking the container. The illustrated and described embodiments of the device, and others which have similar characteristics, are thus of simple construction permitting them readily to be manufactured in mass production at relatively low costs while allowing them to be easily loaded, simply manipulated for preparing the ultimate mixtures, and effectively used for easy withdrawal of the liquid mixture contents therefrom.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are eificiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, whatl claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A container for storage of a liquid and another material miscible therewith segregated in separate chambers having a gated intercornrnunicating passage to permit admixture comprising, in combination, a substantially tubular body of flexible elastomer havin a pair of end sections and an intervening mid-section, said mid-section being constricted with provision of a circular internal seat of a diameter substantially less than the internal diameters of said end sections to define on opposite sides of said seat tubular exterior side walls of a liquid chamber and an admixing chamber for containing material miscible with contents of said liquid chamber, an integral exterior end wall of like elastomer closing oil one end of said body and the tubular side wall of the chamber thereat, an integral elongated neck extending coaxially from the other end of said body having an outlet bore and an external diameter appreciably less than the internal diameter of the adjacent end section with an intervening inwardly-extending crowned shoulder zone of the same flexible material connecting the tubular side Wall of said end section to said neck and capable of axial inward flexure, a removable cap mounted in a relatively fixed inward position on said neck and closing off the bore of the latter with said cap .and neck having cooperating abutting means preventing further relative inward motion of said cap, said cap constituting with said neck and said flexible crowned shoulder zone a portion of the exterior wzdls of the chamber provided by said adjacent end section, and a substantially cylindrical resilient gate plug of a diameter intermediate the diameter of said seat and the internal diameters of said chambers removably fitted in constricted condition Within said seat temporarily isolating said chambers from each other, said liquid chamber containing a quantity of liquid appreciably greater than a predetermined cubic capacity of said chamber to which it may be reduced by inward fiexure of at least one portion of the exterior walls of said liquid chamber to cause said gate plug to be ex polled from said seat into said admixing chamber by bydraulic pressure when the exterior wall portion of said liquid chamber is flexed inwardly.

2. In an admixing container for storage of a liquid and another material miscible therewith constituting ingredients of an ultimate mixture and segregated in separate chambers thereof with the latter intercommunicated by a'gated passage to permit upon opening of the latter admixture of the ingredients, the combination with a bottom section defining an enlarged receptive chamber containing the other ingredient and of a certain internal cross-sectional dimension, a constricted tubular inlet leading and connected in a fluid-tight manner to said receptive chamber and of an internal diameter appreciably less than the cross-sectional dimension of said receptive chau ber defining the intercommunicating passage, a substantially cylindrical resilient gate plug of a diameter intermediate the internal diameter of said tubular inlet and the internal cross-sectional dimension of said receptive chamber jammed into said inlet and temporarily closing the intercommunicating passage with said gate plug being pressure-expellable from the latter into said receptive chamber, and a top portion definin in part an enlarged liquid storage chamber substantially filled with the liquid ingredient and connected in a fluid-tight manner at its bottom to said tubular inlet with the passage efined by the latter intercommunicating said receptive and liquid storage chambers when said gate plug is unseated from said passage into said receptive chamber, of an upwardly crowned relatively thin-walled annulus surmounting said top portion connected thereto in a fluid-tight manner and forming a top closing end wall of said liquid storage chamber, said crowned annulus being formed of flexible elastomer and deformable to a concave annulus upon application of downward thrust axially thereto to reduce the cubic capacity of said liquid storage chamber and cause said gate plug to be hydraulically expelled from said intercornmunicating passage into said receptive chamber, a tubular neck connected centrally to said flexible annulus in a fluid-tight manner and having an outlet bore terminating in an open pouring mouth, said neck extending outwardly coaxially from said flexible annulus, and a removable closurc fitted to said neck in a relatively fixed inward position and temporarily closing said mouth, said neck and closure together defining a stiff thrust post for manual engagement to deform said flexible annulus downwardly into a concave position upon application of downward manual thrust to said post.

3. The admixing container structure as defined in claim characterized by said top section and said flexible annulus which together define said liquid storage chamber, and said necl; being all formed together integral y from the flexible elastomer, said removable closure being a cap having a skirt formed of relatively rigid material telescoped down over said ncclc 4. The admixing container structure as defined in claim 3 characterized by said neclc being of relatively small diameter and provided with external screw threads, said cap having an imperforate end wall integral with said skirt and with the latter provided with internal screw threads threadably engaged with said neclr threads.

5. The admixing container as defined in claim 4 characterized by all of said container se tions, said intercommunicating tubular inlet connecting said chambers together, said flexible annulus and said neck all being molded integrally together irom flexible elastorner.

6. An admixing container for storage of a liquid and another material miscible therewith segregated in separate chambers having a gated intercommunicating passage to permit admixture comprising, in combination, a sub stantially tubular body molded from flexible elastomer having a pair of end sections and an intervening mid-section, said mid-section being constricted with provision of a circular internal seat or a diameter substantially less than the internal diameters of said end sections to define on opposite sides of said seat tubular exterior side walls of a top liquid storage chamber and a bottom receptive admixing chamber containing material miscible with contents of said liquid chamber, an integral bottom end wall closing off the bottom end of said receptive chamber, an integral elongated and externally screw threaded neck of relatively small diameter extending coaxially from the other top end of said body having an external diameter appreciably less than the internal diameter of the adjacent liquid storage chamber-defining top end section, an integral outwardly-extending frusto-conical flexible annulus defining a shoulder zone intervening and connecting the tubular side Wall of said top end section to said neck, a relatively rigid and internally screw threaded removable cap threadably engaged down over said neck to a relatively fixed position and closing off the latter while constituting with said neck a portion of the exterior walls of said liquid storage top chamber, and a substantially cylindrical resilient gate plug of a diameter intermediate the diameter of said seat and the internal diameters of said chambers removably fitted in constricted condition within said seat temporarily isolating said chambers from each other, said flexible lrusto-conical shoulder zone being depressible to the shape of a concave annulus by application of downward thrust to said cap and said liquid storage chamber containing a quantity of liquid appreciably greater than a predetermined cubic capacity of said chamber to which it may be reduced by depression of said shoulder to the shape of a concave annulus to cause said gate plug to be expelled down from said seat into said bottom admixing chamber by hydraulic pressure when said cap and neck are thrust downwardly together with depression of said shoulder zone to the shape of a concave annulus.

7. In an admixing container for storage of a liquid and another material miscible therewith constituting ingredr cuts of an ultimate mixture and se rcgated in separate chambers thereof with the latter intercommunicated by a gated passage to permit upon opening of the latter admixture of the ingredients, the combination with a bottom section defining an enlarged receptive chamber containing the other ingredient and of a certain internal cross-sectional dimension, a constricted tubular inlet leading and connected in a fluid-tight manner to said receptive chamber and of an internal diameter appreciably less than the cross-sectional dimension of said receptive chamber defining the intercommunicating passage, a substantially cylindrical resilient gate plug of a diameter intermediate the internal diameter of said tubular'inlet and the internal cross-sectional dimension of said receptive chamber jammed into said inlet and temporarily closing the intercommunicating passage with said gate plug being pressure-expellable from the latter into said receptive chamber, and a top portion defining in part an enlarged liquid storage chamber substantially filled with the liquid ingredient and connected in a fluid-tight manner at its bottom to said tubular inlet with the passage defined by the latter intercommunicating said receptive and liquid storage chambers when said gate plug is unseated from said passage into said receptive chamber, of an upwardly crowned relatively thin-Walled annulus surmounting said top por tion connected thereto in a fluid-tight manner and forming a top closing end wall of said liquid storage chamber, said crowned annulus being formed of flexible elastomer and deformable to a concave annulus upon application of downward thrust axially thereto to reduce the cubic capacity of said liquid storage chamber and cause said gate plug to be hydraulically expelled from said intercommunicating passage into said receptive chamber, tubular means connected centrally to said flexible annulus in a fluid-tight manner and defining a liquid loading inlet passage for flowing the liquid ingredient into the top storage chamber, and a closure fitted to said tubular means in relatively fixed position and closing said loading inlet passage with confinement of the liquid ingredient in the top storage chamber, said closure being of a structure permitting withdrawal of ultimate liquid mixture out through said tubular means defining the liquid loading inlet passage, said latter tubular means and the closure fitted thereto together defining a relatively stiff thrust-receiving means for manual engagement to deform said flexible annulus downwardly into a concave position upon application of downward manual thrust to said thrust-receiving means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,636,493 Lockhart Apr. 28, 1953 2,667,164 Smith Jan. 26, 1954 2,667,872 Smith Feb. 2, 1954 2,695,614 Lockhart Nov. 30, 1954 2,869,745 Lockhart Jan. 20, 1959 2,957,501 Holmes Oct. 25, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 787,090 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1957 568,541 Belgium June 30, 1958 

1. A CONTAINER FOR STORAGE OF A LIQUID AND ANOTHER MATERIAL MISCIBLE THEREWITH SEGREGATED IN SEPARATE CHAMBERS HAVING A GATED INTERCOMMUNICATING PASSAGE TO PERMIT ADMIXTURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR BODY OF FLEXIBLE ELASTOMER HAVING A PAIR OF END SECTIONS AND AN INTERVENING MID-SECTION, SAID MID-SECTION BEING CONSTRICTED WITH PROVISION OF A CIRCULAR INTERNAL SEAT OF A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE INTERNAL DIAMETERS OF SAID END SECTIONS TO DEFINE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SEAT TUBULAR EXTERIOR SIDE WALLS OF A LIQUID CHAMBER AND AN ADMIXING CHAMBER FOR CONTAINING MATERIAL MISCIBLE WITH CONTENTS OF SAID LIQUID CHAMBER, AN INTEGRAL EXTERIOR END WALL OF LIKE ELASTOMER CLOSING OFF ONE END OF SAID BODY AND THE TUBULAR SIDE WALL OF THE CHAMBER THEREAT, AN INTEGRAL ELONGATED NECK EXTENDING COAXIALLY FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID BODY HAVING AN OUTLET BORE AND AN EXTERNAL DIAMETER APPRECIABLY LESS THAN THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE ADJACENT END SECTION WITH AN INTERVENING INWARDLY-EXTENDING CROWNED SHOULDER ZONE OF THE SAME FLEXIBLE MATERIAL CONNECTING THE TUBULAR SIDE WALL OF SAID END SECTION TO SAID NECK AND CAPABLE OF AXIAL INWARD FLEXURE, A REMOVABLE CAP MOUNTED IN A RELATIVELY FIXED INWARD POSITION ON SAID NECK AND CLOSING OFF THE BORE OF THE LATTER WITH SAID CAP AND NECK HAVING COOPERATING ABUTTING MEANS PREVENTING FURTHER RELATIVE INWARD MOTION OF SAID CAP, SAID CAP CONSTITUTING WITH SAID NECK AND SAID FLEXIBLE CROWNED SHOULDER ZONE A PORTION OF THE EXTERIOR WALLS OF THE CHAMBER PROVIDED BY SAID ADJACENT END SECTION, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL RESILIENT GATE PLUG OF A DIAMETER INTERMEDIATE THE DIAMETER OF SAID SEAT AND THE INTERNAL DIAMETERS OF SAID CHAMBERS REMOVABLY FITTED IN CONSTRICTED CONDITION WITHIN SAID SEAT TEMPORARILY ISOLATING SAID CHAMBERS FROM EACH OTHER, SAID LIQUID CHAMBER CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF LIQUID APPRECIABLY GREATER THAN A PREDETERMINED CUBIC CAPACITY OF SAID CHAMBER TO WHICH IT MAY BE REDUCED BY INWARD FLEXURE OF AT LEAST ONE PORTION OF THE EXTERIOR WALLS OF SAID LIQUID CHAMBER TO CAUSE SAID GATE PLUG TO BE EXPELLED FROM SAID SEAT INTO SAID ADMIXING CHAMBER BY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE WHEN THE EXTERIOR WALL PORTION OF SAID LIQUID CHAMBER IS FLEXED INWARDLY. 